The New Bern Bears (3-2) asserted themselves early and often in Friday’s 48-9 victory over the Laney Buccaneers(2-2) at Caruso-Coates Stadium.

Laney received the first possession and fumbled three plays later, with Deandre Jones recovering the spill.

On the very next play, Bears’ star quarterback Mike Hughes got the left corner and darted 44 yards for a touchdown.

The Bears would only pile it on from there.

Cody Purdie accounted for 205 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries for an average of 7.8 yards per carry.

“I have to thank my line like always for allowing me to have a big night,” Purdie said. “We were very physical up front tonight. I think we kind of shocked them from the start because they haven’t seen a team like us with our aggressiveness.”

The Bears started the season 0-2, with home losses to Durham Hillside and Havelock, but have since won three straight, outscoring their opponents 112-21 over that span.

“It feels great to finally get a victory here at home,” New Bern coach Bobby Curlings said. “We challenged the kids to come out and have their best game of the year tonight. I will have to look at film but I think they probably did that.”

As a team, the Bears rushed 47 times for 304 yards and outgained Laney in total offense 418 to 217.

“We just reacted to their defense offensively,” Curlings said. “If people are going to play five or six guys in the box, then we are going to be running dominant. Two big keys tonight were our offensive line is continuing to play better and the defense was great.”

The Bears held a shutout of Laney until midway through the fourth quarter when Bucs’ quarterback Tariq Lane hit Jared Kelly on a 14-yard touchdown pass.

On the ensuing kickoff, Laney attempted an onside kick, which New Bern’s Terrell Fisher scooped and scored on a 62-yard return.

Anything that could go wrong for visiting Laney did.

A Buccaneer defense that hadn’t allowed an offensive touchdown through three games, surrendered five against the Bears.